The other day at work I had mentioned my 9th wedding anniversary coming up and of course, as per custom my co-workers congratulated me. After the first sentence, you are probably wondering what the title has to do with this post. Well, let’s get into that.

Coming back from lunch one of my co-workers clarified that I was going to be married for nine years. I confirmed his statement. He then asked me why I wore shoes like I’m a high schooler still. For a moment I was taken aback.

Let’s get some things out of the way, this gentleman may not be old enough to be my grandfather, but he is older than my father. He has long hair in a ponytail. probably in his mid 50’s maybe pushing early 60;s – all in all age doesn’t matter to me much, he is a man like any other.

For a moment I was just dumbfounded. I look down at his feet and he had brown wingtips on, but they were scuffed and aged for a few years. Something with dress shoes that I would never wear anything that beat up out in public for that shoe style. I used to always wear dress shoes when I was consulting, but since I’m in the office all day I wear something more befitting to my work and being on my feet more often than I was when I was consulting.

How do you explain to this gentleman that I value my personal comfort when occasions allow for it more than any false bravadoes of style? That generationally the wing tips don’t fit most people in their late 20s or early 30s like they did twenty to thirty years ago. Fashion slaves no longer need to exist to the level in business that the older generation once believed. Even IBM employees don’t wear suits and ties to work anymore.

I left it with that line that they were comfortable and that’s why I wear them. I didn’t add that my dress shoes don’t look like they are falling apart and 4 months past they need a good polishing.

In the end – I don’t understand what that has to do with being married for 9 years.

I assume these would be a more fitting style according to him for a guy married 9 years than the shoes pictured above (the style I normally buy):

Ug.

Anyways I’ve been happily married now for 9 short years and hopefully will stay that way into I’m just a memory in everyone’s eye and someone whose thoughts only exist in the archive.org Wayback machine.

I love my wife with all of my heart, there are trials and tribulations that go with any marriage and being the same person for over a decade. However, we persevere and go one (though we still argue about copyright law – HEATEDLY). We will manage to get through and stay in blissful debate and wonderful marriage until our dying day.

I will however still wear the shoes I like and not the ones befitting a certain age or social economic structure.